Mildridge Lipscomb has been brought on board at Addison Pointe as the new Director of Dining and Nutrition Services. Mildridge has been in food services for 39 years. “Mildridge brings a lot of leadership experience to our facility. Our residents feel like they are eating at a 5-star restaurant. Every meal, there are many options, and the meals taste and smell amazing,” said Kelly DeYoung, Administrator of Addison Pointe.

John Ricketts has been an ironmaker for 42 years, and loves the metal so much that he’s made it as much of a hobby as a career. The steel engineer and process specialist for ArcelorMittal’s Global Research and Development Center has traveled the world sharing the best of ironmaking practices globally. In the process, he has amassed a collection of iron artifacts and memorabilia that deserves a museum.

The VNA of Northwest Indiana’s Annual Meeting is always a special night, as their team gets the chance to unite with the community and recognize the achievements of the previous year. This year’s meeting also offered something a little different.

Kermit the Frog may have had it all wrong. It actually IS easy being green. Especially at American Licorice Company in La Porte. The company recently launched their new Green Monday initiative to inspire associates to make small changes to improve their overall health, and the environment.

The Economic Development Corporation Michigan City, Indiana (EDCMC) is happy to announce Jenilee Haynes Peterson as its new Economic Development Manager. Peterson was recently added to the team at EDCMC at the beginning of January to provide continued focus on the Business Retention and Expansion program, building community partnerships, and Workforce Development initiatives.

Whitney Berry can’t believe she once told her mom she’d never be a nurse. Now, she and her mother Kelly DeYoung - who both have nursing degrees - serve as the two main leaders at Addison Pointe Health and Rehabilitation Center in Chesterton: DeYoung, Administrator, and Berry, Director of Nursing. This certainly was not in their game plan.

In 1997, DeYoung graduated from nursing school after serving as a phlebotomist at St. Anthony Medical Centers. She remembers being mesmerized by the nurses' passion for caregiving.

“As a phlebotomist, you didn’t want to leave the room,” DeYoung said. “I would think, What’s going on with them? Why are they here? I just wanted to do more.”

This thought forged her path to becoming a nurse and soon enough, her 7-year-old daughter...

Melissa Osika has been awarded the prestigious Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Designation by the Residential Real Estate Council, the largest not-for-profit affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS.

Just recently Tom Malone has been nominated December employee of the month at Addison Pointe Health and Rehabilitation. Tom has been an Activities Assistant at Addison Pointe since 2014. What Tom enjoys the most about his job is being able to show his love for the residents through activities daily. Tom know he can go home daily with a smile on his face because he was able to make one or many of his residents happy through his work experience. Tom has been retired 4 times. Being at Addison has been his best retirement job yet.

“Tom sets a gold standard in kindness. Tom always works hard and with a loving smile all the time. He even brings me and the other employee’s ice cream on a weekly basis from the ice parlor,” Kelly DeYoung Administrator at Addison Pointe said.

It is no secret that businesses thrive when they have a strong, passionate workforce behind them. However, finding, empowering, and maintaining excellent employees can be a struggle for many business owners. Luckily, business owners of La Porte and surrounding communities now have an additional resource for ending the struggle.

Zachary Jesko, FNP-C, ACHPN, an advanced practice nurse with VNA of Northwest Indiana was recently notified that he attained certification as an Advanced Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse (ACHPN) by the Hospice and Palliative Credentialing Center (HPCC), HPCC is the only organization that offers specialty certification for all levels of hospice and palliative nursing care, administrators and perinatal loss care professionals.